Medieval History

This is an audiobook with four different topics, all related to the history of Great Britain. The topics are the following: Horatio Nelson, one of the most courageous, strategic, valiant British generals in history; the Cathars, who were different from the mainstream Catholic church in the 13th century; the British rule over India; and the Great Fire of London, a massive fire in the ominous year of 1666.

Although it ended over 550 years ago, the Hundred Years’ War still looms large in the historical consciousness of England and France, even if the name of the famous war is a misnomer. The war was transformative in many respects, and the impact it had on the geopolitical situation of Europe cannot be overstated. While some might think of the war as being a continuation of the feudal tradition of knights and peasants, the Hundred Years’ War revolutionized Western European warfare, and it truly helped to usher in the concept of nationalism on the continent.

Somewhat ironically, the one aspect of the Middle Ages that has been romanticized is medieval warfare. What is generally forgotten is that medieval warfare was constantly adapting to the times as leaders adopted new techniques and technology, and common infantry became increasingly important throughout the period. The changes became most evident at the beginning of the 14th century, when the French army fought rebellious forces from Flanders in the Battle of the Golden Spurs on July 11, 1302.

Anglo-Saxon England. Having built a rich empire and keen to win the favor of the royal court, Hilda and AEligard have little time for their daughter, Catheryn. But one man, Selwyn, is intrigued by the intelligent and high-spirited girl.

Egypt in the 13th century was a glorious kingdom to behold. However, there was another factor that made Cairo infamous. The city represented the last bastion of the Muslim world. In 1258, the Mongols sacked Baghdad, destroying the capital of the mighty Islamic Abbasid Caliphate, which was a major blow to the Islamic world. The Mongol armies continued west into the holy land of Syria and Palestine. There, the Mongols met the foe to rival them in war: The Mamluks. Hailing from the Eurasian steppes, the Mamluks were not Arab, but ethnically Turkish, enslaved at a young age.

Ragnar Lothbrok is considered to be one of the most influential Vikings in Norse history, regardless of what is speculated to be true or false. Follow the epic tales through Ragnar’s life as he traverses his way through Scandinavia, France, and England, leading fleets of ships, raiding villages, and holding kings at ransom. Witness the brutality and outright madness Ragnar, the king of Denmark, portrayed during his reign. If Ragnar is something that myths are made of, there is a lot that seem to be hard facts.

Charlemagne's name means "Charles the Great", a title he earned after an impressive life filled with military conquests. His life inspired countless tales, including the legends that he was 20 feet tall, that he slept under the guard of 100 armed knights, and that he rose from the dead to aid in the Crusades. While these fantastical tales are false, the truth is equally fantastic: By the end of his life, Charlemagne had been king of the Franks, king of the Lombards, and the first emperor of the newly formed Holy Roman Empire.

Das Mittelalter, vordergründig von einer rigiden christlichen Moral geprägt, kannte die Lust an Liebe und Sinnlichkeit, ohne Reue und Gewissensbisse. Wie selbstverständlich Sexualität gelebt wurde - sowohl in der Ehe wie auch außerhalb - macht das Hörbuch ebenso anschaulich wie den uneingeschränkten Genuss anderer Lebensfreunden, des Essens und Trinkens (in den Klöstern waren zwei Liter Wein pro Tag und Person durchaus an der Tagesordnung), der Feste und des Tanzes.

Kriminalfälle des Mittelalters - in nur einem Hörbuch? Obwohl dies doch das "finstereblutrünstigevorrationale" Zeitalter ist...? Aber ja! Denn das Mittelalter war keineswegs eine rechtlose Zeit. Im Gegenteil, es herrschte häufig eine überaus klare Rechtsauffassung. Doch wie sah diese aus? Was waren die großen, die berühmten Verbrechen, und wie liefen Gerichtsverfahren ab? Welche Strafen wurden verhängt, und auf welche Weise wurden sie vollstreckt?

Kleidung trägt man auf dem Leib, Mode entsteht im Kopf. Die textilen Hüllen waren im Mittelalter willkommener Schutz vor Witterung und unerwünschten Blicken, ihre Bedeutung aber erschöpfte sich nicht im praktischen Nutzen. Jan Keupp erzählt in diesem Band ebenso aufschlussreiche wie spannende Kleidergeschichten aus dem Mittelalter: Welche Kleiderkonventionen es in der mittelalterlichen Gesellschaft gab.

Machtgewinn und Machtbehauptung der Medici im Florenz des 15. Jahrhunderts waren schon für die Zeitgenossen ein Lehrstück der Politik: Wie konnte es gelingen, scheinbar übermächtige Gegner aus älteren und vornehmeren Familien zu verdrängen? Wie ließ sich eine vorher relativ offene Republik so umformen, dass der Wille der Medici maßgeblich und durchsetzbar wurde? Als packendes Drama in fünf Akten erzählt Volker Reinhardt den Machtkampf der Medici - mit Cosimo de Medici als "Hauptdarsteller".

Der muslimische Vorstoß nach Europa: 711 erobern die Araber die iberische Halbinsel. Wie kam es zu diesem Zusammenstoß, welche Folgen hatte er? Und in wieweit hat das Jahr 711 das Gesicht Europas verändert? Das Hörbuch beantwortet all diese Fragen knapp, konzise und lebhaft. So spannend und aktuell kann Geschichte sein!

This publication takes an in-depth look at the grand conflict between East and West that ebbed and flowed for almost 200 years. Providing fascinating background and context, as well as profiles of some of the most interesting historical names associated with the period, this book offers a fresh, colorful perspective on the crusades.

Featuring royal residences and aristocratic splendors such as Blenheim Palace and Highclere Castle - the setting for Downton Abbey - this wonderful publication delves into the history of some of Britain's most famous historic houses. Secrets of the Manor House provides a fascinating insight into life at these splendid properties down the centuries and profiles the celebrated personalities who have left their mark on these architectural masterpieces.

When a crusader army of Western European Franks took Jerusalem by storm on July 15, 1099, it was one of the more unexpected conquests in history. Everything seemed to be against them for the previous three years of crusades right up to the final siege, yet they finally prevailed. And when they did, they massacred most if not all of the population before establishing a Christian realm in a region that had been taken over by the Muslims in 634 CE.

This is the classic - and somewhat clichéd - image of the Vikings, and their fearsome reputation was in many respects well deserved, the Norse sagas charting their deeds in all their lurid glory. But over the past century, thanks to a wealth of new archaeological evidence, a much more nuanced picture of the Vikings has emerged, providing profound insights into one of the most astonishing, misunderstood, and adaptable of European civilizations.

Pioneers: The Men Who Built Britain spans the centuries, from 17th-century Restoration Britain to the darkest days of World War II, presenting in-depth profiles of some of the characters whose genius as engineers, designers, entrepreneurs and businessmen made Britain great. Sir Christopher Wren, George Stephenson, James Brindley, R.J. Mitchell and Isambard Kingdom Brunel - arguably the greatest engineer in history - all feature in this publication.

Looking into the past, the Crusades seem incomprehensible. What combination of religious fervor, hatred of people of different faiths, and gall led Europeans of AD 1100 to make their way thousands of miles to conquer the Holy Land? Why did they continue for 200 years? How did the Crusades change the world? The intriguing story is peppered with colorful characters. Over the centuries crusaders saw - and participated in - the evolution of warfare and the transformation of society from feudal fiefdoms to nations and empires.

Whether it is Plato's lost city of Atlantis, a technological advanced utopia that sank into the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune"; the colony of Roanoke, whose early American settlers were swallowed up in the wild forest lands of the unexplored continent, or the Ancient American Explorers, who managed to arrive to the New World 2,000 years before Columbus, the disappearance of these societies is as cryptic as it is implausible. This book will look at cultures of the 10 greatest lost civilizations in history.

¿Sabía que la civilización occidental ha influido en la vida de prácticamente todas las personas que viven hoy en día? ¿Qué es lo que sabe de la civilización occidental? Puede parecer una pregunta curiosa, pero mucha gente no se da cuenta de hasta qué punto Occidente ha influido en el mundo. Los valores de la civilización occidental han influido en las leyes, en el sentido de la individualidad de las personas e incluso en nuestra moral. Aquí, en este libro, exploramos todos los aspectos fascinantes del gran marco sobre el que descansa nuestra civilización occidental moderna.